29 May 2014

Here is my single most important piece of advice on starting your day off right. Make your bed. When I was young my parents taught me the importance of making my bed. When I was in my teenage years, I rebelled against them (slightly) and not doing my bed was one of the ways I did that. I know, real rebellious! You see, the important thing about making your bed is that within approximately 10 minutes of waking up, you've already completed one task. And that one task, believe it or not, will shape how the rest of your day goes. As an adult now I can't leave the house in the morning, no matter how rushed I am, without making my bed and making sure my pillows are perfectly puffed and placed. It sets a productive tone to my day and declutters my mind. With my bed made, I can go off into the world and face whatever the day will throw at me, or almost. And, I love coming back home to a neat and tidy bed.

25 May 2014

On Sundays, my boyfriend and I like to head out and go for brunch. Since we've been living on different continents for the past few months, I haven't been going out for brunch nearly as much and I often find myself missing our Sunday ritual. So I decided to recreate the Sunday brunch feeling for myself at home. French Toast is the perfect, easy brunch breakfast to recreate and it is delicious, especially when using a day-old rustic loaf of bread or baguette as I did here.

Simple French Toast

(for two)

bread

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. of butter

Mix all the ingredients together, making sure that the egg is well mixed and there are no large white egg bits. Slice bread and dip the slices in the liquid mixture covering the whole bread. Melt butter in a frying pan and place the bread on frying pan to cook. Flip over when golden brown. I like mine a little crispy so I leave on a tiny bit longer until its brown. When your french toasts are all cooked serve with maple syrup and fresh fruits.

20 May 2014

Recently, whilst in Quebec City visiting my grandmother, I popped in Holt's Renfrew and headed straight for the Dior counter. I needed the Dior Addict Lip Glow in my life. At $35, it can be a bit steep for some, but in my opinion it is well worth it. I love a "your lips but better" lip stain or balm. This nifty little product is exactly that. According to the box, the Dior Addict Lip Glow is a "color awakening lipbalm". It reacts to your lips' chemistry to create the perfect colour and is also hydrating. The colour in the tube is bubblegum pink and on my lips it comes out as a sheer reddish-coral colour the majority of the time. I am not a big lipstick wearer so this product is perfect when I'm in a hurry in the morning or on the way to a meeting. It adds just the right amount of colour all the while being completely personalized for you and with a light mint smell. How can it not be addictive?

15 May 2014

When you hear the word wanderlust you might not think of Maine first. Maybe the Greek Islands crossed your mind, or Bali, or Morocco, or maybe even India did? But at this moment I am feeling wanderlust for Ogunquit, Maine. The small beach town has been a favourite holiday spot for my family since I was a baby - my parents brought me for the first time when I was just a few months old. Ogunquit spells summer for me. I haven't been in a few years and I am yearning to go back this summer. Until them I've been looking back on photos from my last time I went and dreaming of the peaceful sound of the waves.

10 May 2014

There is nothing more disappointing than wearing a new pair of jeans for the first time and discovering, after a full day of wear, that your perfect new, "make my ass look amazing" jeans have faded all over your skin. Even worst, is discovering that the deep blue that attracted you to them has also faded onto your white shirt. Normally, I don't quite mind if the colour fades on my skin because I can easily wash it off in the shower, but this time I was bothered that it had faded on my white sweater and that it didn't wash out.

Enter the old trick of washing your jeans for the first time using vinegar, salt and cold water. Seems simple, right? Well it is, if you're patient enough to wait three washes and your conscience doesn't tell you what you're doing isn't an incredible waste of water and energy.

How it Works

Wash jeans inside out in 1 cup of vinegar and cold water, followed by another wash in cold water with 1 cup of coarse sea salt and finally, do a third wash with cold water and regular laundry soap. It'd recommend a soap specifically designed for dark colours.

The Verdict

FAIL - For me this didn't work. The fading on my skin and on my sweaters continued.

There are many variations of this trick and I've even heard of some people not washing their jeans in order to keep them looking new longer. What do you do to keep your jeans looking new?

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About Me

A 20-something chasing her dreams and making the most of every situation and opportunity. Passionate about all things fashion and a good cup of tea. As John Updike said, "We are most alive when we're in love." Montrealer living in Dublin.